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Beyond Traditional: Creative Vertical Blinds Alternatives To Consider
Vertical blinds have developed a rather poor reputation over time. The noise they produce when opening and closing them, the single slat that never sits right, and the neutral color of plastic that was always used can be found in cheap 90s homes. If that is what got you started on the search for vertical blinds alternative solutions, here is the truth of the matter: sometimes a replacement is indeed needed, while in other cases only a modernized version of vertical blinds will do. Below, we will discuss both scenarios to help you make the right decision as to whether you need to leave the old verticals or upgrade/replace them with something new.
Are Vertical Blinds Out of Style?
No, they are not. When someone wonders if vertical blinds are out of style, they usually think about old-fashioned ones that consist of thin and brittle plastic slats mounted on an exposed rail system, which is actually nowhere close to how they are manufactured nowadays.
The advancement of modern vertical blinds has seen the introduction of modern features that can attract one's eye from across the room. For instance, the old flat vanes have given way to the gently curved S-shaped vanes, and the old smooth look of vertical blinds is replaced with the relief texture of materials made out of wood. The drawbacks have been addressed; instead of cumbersome chains that are easily tangled, now there is only the convenient wand operation. So, if you are wondering whether vertical blinds are still in style for big openings, one should rest assured that they are still the best way to cover the patio doors, especially when one is short of budget, since the vertical blinds collection starts at around $105, which cannot be matched by any other full-size product.
However, style is not the only reason why people change their vertical window coverings. If cleaning is a problem for you, if vertical blinds are no longer providing sufficient sound insulation, or if they let heat into your home from the west-facing opening, an alternative will suit your needs better. The next section of this blog will present alternatives.
CHECK OUT OUR STYLISH COLLECTION OF VERTICAL BLINDS
What Are People Replacing Vertical Blinds With?
The short list: panel track blinds, vertical cellular shades, sheer shades, draperies, and for standard windows, roller shades and Roman shades. Each answers a different complaint, so start with what bothers you about your current blinds and work backward.
Panel Track Blinds
Panel track blinds (also sold as sliding panel blinds) are the closest one-to-one replacement for vertical blinds. Wide fabric panels glide along a headrail track, stack neatly to one side, and cover openings a single roller shade cannot. If your complaint is the choppy look of dozens of narrow vanes, panels solve it: four or five broad panels give a sliding door a calm, architectural face. The trade-off is light control. Panels slide open or closed, but they do not tilt, so you lose the fine light-angling that vanes provide.
Vertical Cellular Shades
Vertical cellular shades utilize the honeycomb design of regular cellular shades and place it horizontally, allowing the shade to fold easily against the door frame when opened. This is particularly important when dealing with large glass doors because the honeycomb cells trap air adjacent to the glass. This makes vertical cellular shades a good option when the main issue is a room that tends to get too warm during hot months or too cold in winter. Moreover, they are more expensive than vertical blinds, and soft fabric needs more delicate pampering than a PVC vane that you can wipe clean with a cloth.
Sheer Shades
Sheer shades consist of strips of fabric placed between two pairs of translucent fabrics, allowing for diffusion of daylight and providing light while obscuring the view. Use sheer shades for the living rooms when you need more light in the room, but your view should not be compromised. Avoid using sheer shades in the bedrooms or any room facing the street, since these shades will allow other people to see your silhouette through sheer fabric once lights are on inside your home.
Draperies
Floor-length draperies are the warmest-looking of the vertical blind alternatives, and the only one that adds real softness and color to a room. On a wide track, they handle patio doors well. Two things to plan for: stack space, since open drapes eat 12 inches or more of wall on each side, and cleaning, since most panels need to come down for washing rather than a quick wipe. A popular middle path is layering drapery panels over a functional blind, so the fabric does the decorating and the blind does the work.
Roller Shades and Roman Shades
For standard windows (rather than doors), roller shades and Roman shades are the two most common swaps. A roller shade disappears into a slim tube when raised, the most minimal look a window can have. Roman shades fold into soft horizontal pleats and suit traditional rooms where a roller looks too bare. Neither works well on a door you walk through daily, because raising a full-height shade every time you step onto the patio gets old within a week.
Plantation shutters deserve one line here: they are the premium, permanent option, priced accordingly and typically professionally installed, so treat them as a renovation decision rather than a window-treatment swap.
The Best Alternatives to Vertical Blinds for Sliding Glass Doors
As for the door used daily, the alternative should either slide, stack, or bear the traffic. Thus, most top-down blinds are eliminated from the picture, leaving three real alternatives for alternatives to vertical blinds for sliding glass doors:
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Panel track blinds offer the cleanest contemporary style where the panels remain stacked away from the path.
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Vertical cellular shades work perfectly should energy efficiency be your priority regarding the big area of glass.
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Draperies create a soft effect but require you to allocate space for stacking.
In case of vertical blind alternatives comparison in terms of durability, one should keep in mind one advantage of verticals: damaged vane costs little to be replaced, while stained fabric panel might imply that the whole panel should be replaced. Households with dogs, children, and patio-related daily foot traffic often return to choosing verticals because of this pattern of usage. Check out the sliding glass door collection to compare the options for alternatives to vertical blinds for patio doors.
How to Make Vertical Blinds Look Better Without Replacing Them
If the function is fine and only the look bothers you, replace the vanes or the set, and skip the whole alternatives question. Anyone researching how to make vertical blinds look better usually lands on one of these four upgrades:
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Switch to S-shaped vanes. S-shaped vertical blinds hang in a continuous wave that mimics drapery folds, the single biggest visual upgrade for the money.
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Go fabric. Fabric vertical blinds trade the plastic surface for woven texture and hang with more weight and less clatter.
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Choose a woodgrain finish. Faux wood vertical blinds give the warmth of wood shutters at a fraction of the price, starting around $118.
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Add a valance or cornice. Covering the exposed headrail track hides the most dated-looking part of an old set.
The same thinking applies to how to modernize vertical blinds more broadly: the track systems, wand controls, and vane materials on custom vertical blinds made today share almost nothing with the sets people remember from old apartments. Ordering free samples is the fastest way to see how far the materials have come.
Keep, Update, or Replace? A Quick Decision Framework
The process of finding what to replace vertical blinds with begins with determining whether there is actually a need to do so in the first place, so consider the following three questions:
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First, you can continue to use your existing blinds if they are functioning properly and the design of the space is either casual or practical. A functional set of vertical blinds on a rented patio door certainly does not need changing.
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Secondly, you may consider upgrading your blinds if they still operate correctly, but look outdated. Installing new vanes in fabric, S-shape, or veneer takes significantly less effort than changing the entire system, and there are enough stylish vertical blinds and vertical blind ideas available now in order to significantly improve the design of any room.
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Finally, when the problem is practical in nature, the old blinds should be replaced by a new type of product. For instance, insulation issues can be dealt with by means of vertical cellular shades; lights that are too bright require sheer shades; while the elegant interior does not call for plastic blinds but draperies or panel track blinds instead.
If you are still asking what can I use instead of vertical blinds after running the questions, the answer is usually panel tracks. They are the alternative that gives up the least function for the style gain.
Find the Right Fit at Factory Direct Blinds
The usual criticism about vertical blinds is either general discontent with older pieces or also how people treat this type of covering only when necessary. If a certain debate leads to installing modern systems or offers some alternatives to vertical blinds, it first suggests trying out measuring and checking some samples before making a final order.
Every product at Factory Direct Blinds is produced following the customer’s specifications, and all procedures comply with the MeasureSafe program. You canstart with how to measure for vertical blinds guide or contact the team via phone, e-mail, or online chat.
FAQs
What Are People Replacing Vertical Blinds With?
Panel track blinds are the most common swap for sliding doors, followed by vertical cellular shades for insulation and draperies for a softer look. On standard windows, roller shades and Roman shades are the usual picks. Many homeowners skip the swap entirely and update to modern vertical blinds with fabric or S-shaped vanes instead.
Are Vertical Blinds Outdated?
Though the older the thin PVC vanes may be, the category continues to grow and thrive; unlike the earlier versions, modern-day models utilize the S-shape vanes, textured finishes, and wand automation, and vertical blinds are still among the most affordable ways to treat sliding entrances.
What Is the Best Alternative to Vertical Blinds for Sliding Glass Doors?
When it comes to sliding doors, it would be best to choose panel track blinds because they slide together with the sliding doors, stack away from the pathway, and look really good. Vertical cellular shades will also help properly insulate the slider if the heating costs are your main concern.
How Can I Make My Vertical Blinds Look Better?
Instead of replacing the whole set of custom vertical blinds, you should rather simply change the vanes. By opting for fabric, which has S-shape vanes or wood-like materials, you can easily change the overall look and character of your windows.
